What's wrong with people who smoke?

[Placebo]

We ain't hurt nobody!

Leave us alone!

I swear, sometimes it feels like a fucking witch hunt.

[qnr]

1. I think it means "You're not doing it right" n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. I'm smoking right now. nt

[Placebo]

8. I just finished a cig.

And life has never smelled sweeter.

mmm...

[Aristus]

3. You tell me; what's wrong with a person who wants to pay lots of money to

a billion-dollar multi-national corporation for the privilege of poisoning them to death?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. It's still their personal choice and last time I checked, that's my right.

[Aristus]

20. I never said anything about choice, haruka.

I answered the question "What's wrong with a smoker?"

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

29. Despite the health and monetary costs, I don't think there's anything

wrong with being a smoker. That's where my comment came from.

[Aristus]

35. Well, when it comes to issues of personal choice, probably not.

If a smoker is alone in the world, with nobody loving and depending on him or her, then there's nothing wrong with the act in itself. As long as it doesn't inconvenience others. i.e. in a public place.

My paternal grandmother and grandfather were both heavy smokers who died of lung cancer and emphysema. I resent the fact that they never spared a thought for those of us who loved them and despaired of seeing them die in agony well before their time.

I like you, haruka, and think you're a beautiful woman. I don't like to think about the things you may suffer later in life from smoking now.

My attitude towards smoking is not a high-and-mighty academic viewpoint. It's a highly personal and emotional one.

[L A Woman]

42. I understand, Aristus...

My mother has emphysema AND she won't go see her grandchildren because my sister won't let her smoke in the house. The cigarettes mean more to her than her grandchildren. BUT it's not malicious. The addicted brain is an enigma. It's odd how people like myself can quit cold turkey and then be disgusted by it. Others in this thread still miss it after decades. Still others seem to be unaffected by evidence that tobacco companies have deliberately tried to lure children into tobacco use and have inserted over 4000 poisonous chemicals into cigarettes - and that they generally lobby for Republican candidates.

Those filthy little sticks of poison mean more to them than ANYTHING else. ANYTHING.

The addicted brain defies explanation.

[ForrestGump]

65. Good points. What amazes me, perhaps above most such things I've seen,

is when I see women of advanced years and obviously very much diminished health who're scooting around the Strip here in Vegas (on those little electric scooter kinda things, with oxygen tank aboard) and take the oxygen supply mask off long enough to rather desperately indulge in the demon tobacco. What the hell? Makes me wonder why they even bother with the oxygen, though maybe those little green cylinders are all that are keeping them alive...the tobacco industry should have to use such images in marketing their products.

[LynneSin]

60. I lost my father to lung cancer at age 41

Trust me, it's not a disease to wait until you're old to afflict you. And your attitude is perfectly respectable. I especially get frustrated with parents who still smoke after they have kids. I mean geez, do you really want to kill yourself off and force your kid to grow up with just one parent. Trust me, that is one hell of an emotional nightmare.

Enjoy smoking but when you have kids do yourself a favor and quit for them.

[LynneSin]

58. It is your personal choice and it's my personal choice to not breathe it

[CrushTheDLC]

111. Not to mention that the tobacco corporations fund the Republican party

...whose current membership wants to kill the entire country.

[Spider Jerusalem]

136. You mean like people who buy gasoline?

(You really ought to acquaint yourself with the rates of respiratory disease, including asthma, emphysema and lung cancer, in metropolitan areas like Los Angeles or Atlanta vs rates of the same diseases in places like Montana.)

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Word

[mad-mommy]

5. has someone upset you?

[Placebo]

11. quasi-inspired by this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

But only quasi.

[mad-mommy]

25. For what it may be worth...

We saw a woman in a powered wheelchair at a park, limited use of her arms, she couldn't manage to light her cigarette. She appeared very ill. My husband helped her. We are non-smkoers. Smoke bothers us, however, this poor woman probably has not much to look forward to and smoking may be one of her only enjoyments. Could not begrudge her of that.

I do want to say this though, it can hurt people. My mom died of lung ca caused by smoking, and the emotional pain I feel is like no other. My son misses her terribly. He was 5 at the time, and not really afraid of the process, even crawled into her hospital bed that was set up in my parents home. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, it's just another perspective. It can cause a great deal of pain for people.

wanted to add this to answer the question, what's wrong people who smoke....

there's nothing wrong with the people who smoke, I loved, and still love my mom regardless.

[Dervill Crow]

48. I am so sorry about your mom.

It does get better.

[barb162]

6. Nothing

What fascinates me is people who drink and drive and do things like that will give dirty looks and actually say things to smokers. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Actually, my dear Placebo.........

You are hurting people......

Starting with yourself......

Second-hand smoke is a class A carcinogen.........

So everyone who is near you and breathes it, is at risk for lung cancer...

At the very least.

I'm sorry it feels like a witch hunt, but tobacco is dangerous.......

Just sayin'........

[bicentennial_baby]

16. Peggy....Nicotine addicts know this

and you know that...C'mon...

I don't bedgrudge people's right to drink in their own houses, even though they *might* drive and endanger me...Hell, I don't begrudge people's right to drive in particular, even though in my opinion 90% of them aren't qualified to be on the road, and exhaust makes my gf really sick ...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. My dear bi-baby..........

Some folks are in denial........

And I have never been strong on being subtle!

Sorry if I offended you, or the OP, sweetie........

[ScreamingMeemie]

59. And the fact that there has yet to be a definitive result on testing the

affects of second hand smoke. Because we are such a polluted society it matters not much anyway. I've never, and my family of non smokers have never bought into the 2nd hand BS. Go start your cars and go for a drive all you second hand smoke afeared.

[LynneSin]

61. I do, trust me - I had it

I spent three years waiting tables in a restaurant with no clearly defined non-smoking region. After 3 years my family AND my doctor swore I was a smoker. I was hacking up flem everyday. I know that sounds nasty but the cough I had was disgusting and rivalled those of a heavy smoker.

Ten years later after I quit waiting tables and even a move to a state that is a bit more polluted and congested then where I lived and the cough cleared up.

The pollution outside is nasty but not as nasty as being confined in a building filled with smokers.

Secondhand smoke is very real

[ScreamingMeemie]

64. My family is willing to live and let live.

It isn't a clean world. I was a waitress, I worked in a bingo hall (those are crazy smokey). I suffered pneumonia last year... If it were a clean world, perhaps I'd be upset... but living north of Detroit is just as noxious to me as a smoker's section in a restaurant.

We're going to have to agree to disagree. I won't change my mind on this.

[LynneSin]

66. That's the choice you're willing to make for your lungs

But don't kid yourself that Secondhand smoke isn't real. It is very very real. And living in a state filled with Chemical Plants starting with DuPont, and who knows what that plant next to where I work is spewing out, I can honestly say that my lungs have gotten way better over the year because I no longer have direct contact with cigerette smoke. And I love that our state banned indoor smoking. I use to love going to Philadelphia to hang out at the clubs and enjoy the local music scene but I can't go anymore because the smoke is too much for me. I can find the same thing here in Delaware without coming home and smelling like an ashtray.

[ScreamingMeemie]

84. I'm not kidding myself. I'm being realistic. And living in a state that

is (or used to be) the Motor capital of the world, I realize my lungs are getting polluted daily. If someone wants to smoke, it's their business. If my overweight neighbor wishes to hasten her death by having 4 cheeseburgers for lunch, that's her business. If I wish to drive a car, polluting our earth even more... I guess I can't say anything. Unless I'm riding a bike and observing ozone action laws...I'm going to be okay with people sticking to legal vices.

[XemaSab]

87. Being around cigarette smoke and breathing heavy air pollution

are both bad.

Just because the air quality standards in this country aren't strong enough doesn't make air pollution okay.

Just because smoke and outdoor air pollution may be equivalent to you doesn't make either one okay.

[ScreamingMeemie]

103. All I'm saying is there it is. I'm not going to freak out about

smokers just like I'm going to keep driving. That is all. I can see how it can bother some people, but it doesn't bother anyone in my family. If we're going to be fair, we should abolish all forms of air pollution.

[xmas74]

90. Motor City has some nasty air quality.

I'd rather stand in a packed pool hall and suck in the fumes.

Truthfully, I have more problems breathing when I stand outside here on certain days than when I'm in a packed bar. People complain about smokers but when I worked 9-1-1 we'd have more calls about severe asthma attacks because of the pollen/mold/ozone quality outside on a set day then we ever did about bars and restaurants.

[RedCappedBandit]

144. So because the world is unclean..

you should add to the pollution?

Flawed logic. Go ahead and smoke; don't hurt others in the process.

[wildhorses]

95. CalPeg....not to put you on the spot but,

I was wondering if you have any advice for me and my predicament? How would you handle this situation? Would it be a dealbreaker? It would have been a dealbreaker for me if he had lit up on the first date...but, now that I have gotten to know the guy. He really is a standup person. We both have the same dreams...the more I talk with him the more I find myself not wanting to fight these feelings.

maybe I just need a good ole CalPeg hug

[Omphaloskepsis]

9. Do you drive?

I will smoke on my bike and you can not smoke in your car. Does that sound good?

[Placebo]

10. No.

No I don't drive and no that doesn't sound good.

[Omphaloskepsis]

12. Well, my argument is fucked..

Time to see if my sister wants to share a smoke.

edit -- see instead of se... Maybe she should take over this beer too.

[Placebo]

18. Probably a wise decision.

[Nicole]

13. Everything!

They make me want to light up.

[Withywindle]

14. Ah, that thread didn't bother me...

...just means if that many people take themselves out of the running, my odds of getting Johnny Depp (smoker) someday are that much better.

[spacelady]

15. I was thinking about this while smoking on a *ahem* bathroom

break. The sun was streaming thru the window and as I tore off some toilet paper, all these tiny TP dust particles floated in the sunlight & I thought, well these are pretty dangerous too, inhaling all that Charmin & Angel Soft dust....

[Placebo]

19. SUPER dangerous.

SUPER dangerous.

[ghostsofgiants]

22. You smell horrible.

[Placebo]

27. So do you.

What's your excuse?

[ghostsofgiants]

28. The doctor says it's glandular.

[Placebo]

30. I'm sorry.

Here, have a cig, it'll make you feel better.

[ghostsofgiants]

52. Way ahead of you...

[Placebo]

53. That's an understatement.

Bitchin'.

[Omphaloskepsis]

31. He has dreadlocks..

And he likes The Mars Volta!!

[ghostsofgiants]

55. I'm wearing my Volta t-shirt right now.

[RevolutionaryActs]

23. Except you do hurt people, what with your second-hand smoke..

fire breathe, and magic flying pinatas .... wait what was the question again?

[Placebo]

26. I fucking love you R_A.

[RevolutionaryActs]

38. I know, I know. It's hard not to.

[mvd]

139. My parents smoke

I'm a non-smoker and keep trying to get them to stop. Because I get a lot of second-hand smoke. Much longer, and it they might be beyond the point of return.

Night all!

[L A Woman]

24. I smoked for 18 years, Placebo

I quit almost 2 years ago. Best thing I ever did. But now I can smell cigarette smoke a mile away. I can smell it if the person in the car in front of me is smoking. It comes into my window when my neighbor smokes. Once it woke me out of a deep sleep at 3am.

You can't smell it when you are smoker, but when you quit, you will know why there is such a witch hunt. It's absolutely disgusting! Honestly, you may as well dip yourself in a vat of shit.

I hope you'll quit. It CAN be done and if I may, I will recommend a website to you. www.whyquit.com - it's a no-nonsense site that can assist you in quitting cold turkey. It really helped me. I succeeded after trying and failing hundreds of times.

Good luck.

[Nicole]

32. Different strokes for different folks

I can smell it from far away too but it doesn't smell disgusting to me. It makes me want to light up again. I smoked for about 30 years & I quit 6 years ago. Being around smokers makes me want to be one again.

[idgiehkt]

34. me too.

that's why I can't date a smoker. Congrats to you for quitting after 30 years, that's an amazing feat. I have quit many times. I like to smoke. I actually love to smoke. Because I can't do anything else, it lets me 'bad' when I feel like I need to be, and I use it for that purpose if I get to the point of feeling compulsive about doing other things. It's my reserve addiction. I think the last time I smoked was around 3 or 4 years ago. I usually smoke for about 4-6 months and then quit.

[Nicole]

37. Same for me

I don't date smokers for the same reason. Like you I loved smoking, I didn't even want to quit. I knew I needed too though so I did, I went cold turkey. I can't smoke part time, I'm such an addict that one cigarette leads to a full blown habit all over again.

[Dervill Crow]

45. I actually take a couple of puffs every several years.

it is immensely reassuring to me to find out just how nasty they taste. If I'm emotionally needy and I see a pack of Marlboro reds, sometimes I think I want a cigarette. It passes really quickly.

[idgiehkt]

49. I am as well.

I fully except the fact that if the bad girl in me has to come out and smoke, that she is going to be doing so for around 4-6 months. I'm going to get up to two packs a day in no time flat and lose my will to do anything but sit around sucking on a cancer stick. I will eat M&M's and drink soda for three meals a day and have hershey bars for snacks. I will have to get a new set of temporary smoking friends to utilize for socialization purposes until I go crawling on my hands and knees back into the realm of the smoke free. I've done this so many times I know the play by play. It's depressing, but sometimes, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

[Dervill Crow]

41. LOL - maybe quitting smoking is what is making me act out now.

I got a tattoo when I turned 50 and a couple of weeks ago I got my nose pierced.

What a rebel I am. My husband just rolls his eyes.

[idgiehkt]

54. i bet it is.

and that's awesome. Self decoration is an ancient art form...rock on. A woman I worked with in her fifties got her tongue pierced (ouch).

[yellowdogintexas]

135. grew up in a whole family full of smokers, and I hated the smell

even then, but I never knew how awful it really smelled until I lived away from it! Like you, I can smell it in cars that pass me..walking by a car that reeks of it is awful.
The bricks and front door of my in-law's house reeked too, you could smell it 3 feet from the door. The main reason I did not want to buy their house when they died.

Makes my eyes tear, my head hurt, irritates my throat,sinuses swell.. ugh.

Thing is if folks could smoke anywhere, anytime like before, then we all go home from work stinking like we hang out in bars, with headaches, and irritated sinuses; at a minimum. I am grateful beyond belief that I don't have to put up with smokers in the work place, smokers where I eat etc.

[The Sower]

33. Insufficient flame?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremation

[Placebo]

36. Hey!

[Dervill Crow]

39. It does seem unfair, doesn't it?

Other states banned smoking in stores in other states long before Oregon did, and I was chased out of a store in Pittsburgh when I lit up a cigarette. I've never been chased out of a store for wearing a pentacle.

I smoked until the first winter that it was banned inside at work. It's weird that the inconvenience and discrimination got to me far more than the health hazards, even though my mom died from lung cancer and it was horrible.

Guess I'm trying to say that it really pissed me off that society made it so hard for me to enjoy my cigarettes, but I'm grateful, too.

[mad-mommy]

40. sorry about your mom n/t

[Dervill Crow]

43. Thanks. It's been 18 years, but sometimes it's like yesterday. n/t

[mad-mommy]

44. 1.5 yrs for me and my mom, lung ca with her too n/t

[LynneSin]

62. 25 years for me

It's freaking me out that next year I'll actually turn the same age that my father was when he died.

[ellisonz]

46. Because it is a witch-hunt...

Cigarettes even consumed in enormous amounts will take dozens of years to kill you unlike alcohol which both can kill in large amounts and seriously impairs judgment and the ability to drive...The smoking nazi's like to go after it because its one of the most visceral social habits to them. There are much worse things in life than smokers, we're an enemy of convenience.

[Placebo]

47. Amen!

[Darth_Kitten]

77. Bull..........

Sorry, but when smokers puff away when they are holding babies, there are people around with obvious breathing difficulties, then I don't feel too sorry about all the smoking whiners who complain that their "rights" are being trampled on.

You can't say anything to these people without them pitching a hairy fit.

[Dervill Crow]

51. I don't think smokers are the enemy.

The evil tobacco companies are the enemy. There is no reason on the Goddess's green earth why cigarettes are as expensive as they are and as addicting. I'm sure they're chemically enhancing them somehow to make them even more addicting; I'm pretty weak-willed and I was able to quit without near the trouble my daughters have had.

[ellisonz]

56. There's no reason that anything is "expensive" or habit forming...

but they are...fact is that there are vices and wastes in life, pick yours and leave everyone else alone. Btw...I've stopped smoking the pure chemical sticks, whole leaf additive free American spirts for me.

Just a side note - I go to school in Portland where in cigarettes are about $4-5 a pack and a gallon of milk is about $3. But I'm home in Honolulu where a gallon of milk is $6-7 and cigarettes are $6-7 too, insanity, all of it.

[LynneSin]

63. Yeah, that's why my state and many others...

...have cracked down even FURTHER with drinking & driving to the point that even if you have alcohol on your breath but don't fail the breath test they can still ticket you. And the fact that all the major drinking areas in Wilmington have cops all over the place so if you get in the car trashed - they know about it.

Just because people CAN get in a car and drive drunk doesn't mean it's acceptable. Since I started drinking, all of the states up'd the age to 21, lowered the legal limit to .08 AND many states now are passing 'Buzzed Driving' laws like I described in the first paragraph where you can be tickted even below .08. And even though that ticket is pretty much like a speeding ticket, the points will fuck over your insurance for 3 years

[Darth_Kitten]

76. Smoking Nazis??......hate the term "nazi" used out of context.....

Sorry, you cannot say "boo" to smokers nowadays.....if you do, you get attacked and put down.


I personally don't care if people want to kill themselves, their call. You people don't have the right to take anybody else down with you. See, it's very simple.

[Gato Moteado]

89. wrong...we go after inconsiderate smokers......

...because they make us physically sick.

non-smokers don't care what smokers do when they're alone or with other smokers. but your freedom to smoke ends at the tip of my nose.

this thread is laughable....smokers crying that they are discriminated against. sorry, but that's bullshit.

[Darth_Kitten]

101. Considerate smokers shouldn't take this personally......

but there are stupid smoking jackasses, just like there are driving jackasses, cell phone using jackasses, and stupid shopping jackasses who won't discipline their children in stores/public/restaurants.

Jackasses happen, just deal with it. We pissed people are just sounding off.

[calico1]

114. Exactly.

Why would people who are considerate want to defend the idiots who share their same habit who have made it more difficult for them because of their behavior?

[TimeChaser]

50. Nothing as long as it's far from me

Coughing up phlegm isn't very fun. I used to be more tolerant of smoke, but since I got sick a year and a half ago, I've been really sensitive.

[REP]

57. Not A Goddamned Thing

To anyone who wants to tell me why I shouldn't smoke, I say, "That's some more of your business." Then I'll give you some childrearing advice. Lots of it. Because I care so very much ... just like you do.

[Beausoir]

73. As an ex-smoker I say.....brilliant post! n/t

[Placebo]

117. Exactly.

[querelle]

67. I Quit Five Years Ago

And I promised myself that I wouldn't become one of those "holier than thou" ex-smokers like so many do. I like to think that I kept that promise. I don't criticize smokers because I've been there and I actually liked to smoke when I did it. I even still miss it from time to time.

However.......I don't like to be around it and will move away from smokers if the are near by. If you are a guest in my house, you will be asked to take it out to the patio. If it's cold or raining, in the garage. I will even supply ashtrays as I still have them all from my smoking days.

A bit of consideration from both sides goes a long way.

My two cents.

Q

[Lilith Velkor]

68. They'll burn you at the stake and then whine about the smoke

Idiots. Fuck 'em.

[calico1]

69. Nothing is wrong with people who smoke.

However, I choose not to smoke but I can't choose not to breathe. So I think a lot of it is consideration. I have a good friend who is a heavy smoker. But he doesn't smoke in my face or when we are in any enclosed area where we there is no good ventilation. I in turn have never lectured him on the sins of smoking nor would I ever dream of doing such a thing. He is an adult. It works very well. I don't lecture him, he does not force his cigarette smoke on me.

[wildhorses]

70. my dear Placebo (with a nod to CalPeg for the phrasing)

I was shocked by the results of that poll!! Here I am dating this guy...very seriously. NOT casually. I have feelings for him. He has feelings for me. We LIKE each other (please don't make me use the big L word just yet). Yet these people who voted DEAL BREAKER...I don't get it. I am just supposed to throw him away b/c he smokes?? How can I throw away a PERSON?? No one is perfect!! We are all FLAWED, all of us. We have our quirky ways each and every one of us!

If I had known UP FRONT (before I started caring for him) I would have kept this as a friendship. His addiction became apparent slowly...over the course of a month. He lives an hour away from me and due to my effed up job schedule we only get to see each other once a week, twice at the very most. We talk every day on the phone. My feelings grew before I realized that he is IN fact NOT trying to quit.

But, to throw him away b/c he smokes...I just don't get it

If you read the whole thread then you know I am a reformed smoker and I hate it. I smoked since I was 13 and quit when I was 43. I developed pneumonia and pleurisy. The doctor scared the immortal shit out of me. I believe GOD (ok all you atheists...jump in with both feet ) took the addiction away from me. I left the dr's office and threw away a half pack of cigs and never bought another pack again!! That is the thing a person can NOT try to quit. Ya just gotta quit. I wish everyone could have that moment of God smack (please, atheists give me space here...it is SO hard to define the experience).

Having said all this...human life is precious and rather than throw this man away I would hope that we can find some sort of mutual agreement and compromise that is satisfactory to us both.

YES...I wish he did NOT smoke
















































I also wish that I looked like Nicole Kidman...

[Iniquitous Bunny]

71. Adults, in private, should be able to do whatever they want.

Heck, I used to smoke sometimes. I used to smoke a good pack a day in my late teens. Ultimately, you choose the addiction or you choose to give it up. I gave it up, slowly, but permanently.

I worked for awhile this Summer on a pulmonary unit in a large, urban hospital. Years of smoking will essentially make you slowly and painfully drown in your own mucus. Mmmm... yummy. If that's your choice, not much anyone can do.

I've also worked in pediatrics and have seen kids admitted with asthma (on oxygen in the hospital and really sick- asthma kills kids in case people didn't know that) only to be readmitted a week or two later because their parents continue to expose them to smoke. Not good to say the least and bordering on abuse IMHO.

[mtowngman]

72. Yeah, I couldn't wait for New Jersey's ban

to take effect in April. I avoided a lot of places because I didn't want to come out stinking.
If someone has to step outside to have a smoke, whats the BFD?

[Skittles]

74. I'd rather be around a smoker

than a holier-than-thou non-smoker; yes INDEED

[Darth_Kitten]

79. I'd rather be around a person who's considerate of others.......

smoker or not.......

Sorry, smokers, but actually it's the non-smokers who can't say boo to you anymore without getting verbally assaulted and put down. Your rights end where another person's begins.

And don't try to set fire to my surroundings, do not like that.

[Skittles]

80. every smoker I know is considerate around others

so there

[Darth_Kitten]

81. WELL.......I've met quite a few smoking idiots..........

REALLY dumb people.

[Skittles]

134. and I have met quite a few non-smoking idiots

REALLY dumb people.....I think many smokers are tired of being picked on just for being smokers, not just for any inconsiderate behavior they may exhibit. Me, I am more concerned by the number of people who fail to exercise but I don't look down on them because of it.

[GirlinContempt]

96. Why should a nonsmoker be able to say 'boo' to me

about my smoking?

[Darth_Kitten]

75. It's because you or some of you fling your still lit cig butts near.......

people's windows....... it's because some of you hork up disgusting things all over the sidewalk....it's because some of you light up in places you aren't supposed to........ it's because some of you light up near babies and people who have breathing problems........

it's because people give some smokers ashtrays and cans to use outside for their butts and they STILL don't have the consideration to use them.

it's your right to smoke, just not around people who it bothers.

[calico1]

83. I wonder if some of the smokers here feel it is

inconsiderate of a non smoker to protest them lighting up whenever and wherever they like? I get that feeling and I'd like someone to correct me if I am wrong. I don't think it is unreasonable for non smokers to not want to be forced into breathing cigarette smoke. Yes, drinking can be just as bad for your health but I don't have to drink from someone's drink. I do have to breathe. It's not a choice. I don't see what is so difficult to understand about this. I don't want to inhale cigarette smoke!

[GirlinContempt]

94. I think it's inconsiderate

to lump all smokers together, to assume you somehow have the right to lecture someone you don't know, to tell people they stink, etc.

Frankly, I don't give a shit how many 'inconsiderate' smokers a person knows, the second they pass judgment on ME based on THAT is the second I tell them to go fuck themselves. Period. Ditto ANYONE who gives me a lecture when I'm standing off to myself smoking in an outdoor area. That shit pisses me right off.

[Darth_Kitten]

100. Yes, you don't deserve a lecture but........

non-smokers shouldn't have to feel put out to have to remind those certain smokers that they can't light up in non-smoking areas.

ie: elevators.

[GirlinContempt]

107. Well, I've not come across anyone smoking in elevators

ever, actually. Unless you count my trips to countries where there's no problem with it. I don't remember there, but I know it was permissible.

[Darth_Kitten]

110. It's plain wrong..........

people shouldn't have to be reminded....but there are always a few.

[calico1]

104. So if you were in my house and felt

like lighting up, would you just go ahead and light up? And then tell me to fuck off if I didn't like it?

[GirlinContempt]

106. In your house? No

On the street infront of your house? Yes.

[calico1]

108. Okay.

Then we pretty much agree. I do NOT bug smokers on streets. I don't own the streets! And I do think its incredibly rude for strangers to lecture people they don't know.

But I think that in enclosed places where people have to share the space, it's polite to ask and not assume that no one will mind.

I think consideration on the part of both sides goes a long way..

[Darth_Kitten]

99. Yes, just don't smoke in "No Smoking" areas.....period.

If people choose to smoke, fine, doesn't make them evil, just remember that it's a habit that not everybody wants to share in.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

78. You are endangering the health of others every single time you light up

in public. One must assume that you are already very aware of the dangers being done to yourself.

I respect people's right to do as they please regarding smoking in private, where the only people they are killing are themselves. But there must be limits on public smoking. It's like the Wiccan rede: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." When it harms others, you cannot expect full protection from the law.

[Midlodemocrat]

82. Well, not the people who smoke, but smoking in general.

The ONLY reason my husband came off the bypass machine during his quadruple bypass, (according to his board certified most excellent surgeon) is because he never smoked.

He's 53. We have three kids. To me, it's a no brainer.

[southpaw]

85. Your right to smoke ends where my next breath begins.

I avoid places where smokers hang out.

I seek out restaurants that are non-smoking or have distinct smoking and non-smoking areas.

I smoked an average of 2 packs a day for 17 years, so I know what it's like to be a smoker.

Do as you will, just be considerate of those who chose not to inhale smoke.

[taterguy]

88. Cool

I'm sure you'll extend me the same coutesy and not force me to breath your second hand auto exhaust. Thanks for doing your part to help save the planet

[southpaw]

91. You got me there, taterguy...

I do drive a petroleum powered vehicle and therefore contribute to the pollution of the planet.

Am I to believe that you NEVER drive or otherwise make use of transportation that emits polluting exhaust? Do you eschew air conditioning and avoid using electric power produced through the burning of fossil fuels?

If you truly do nothing to directly or indirectly contribute to air pollution, then I accept your rebuke. If not, then the difference between us is just a matter of degrees.

By the way, I can transport myself 27 miles to work and 27 miles back every day without blowing tobacco smoke in anyone's face. I long for the day I can do the same without utilizing a petroleum powered vehicle.

[taterguy]

97. I'm a reasonable man

I average about 10 miles a week in a car. I'll forgive the first ten miles you drive a week and complain about the other 260. Just for the record, the day is here when you can transport yourself 27 miles without a petroleum vehicle. I can easily ride a bike that far and I'm a heavy smoker.

[southpaw]

115. Good on ya!

I do what I can for the sake of the environment as well. Not being a cyclist, it would take me quite some time to develop the stamina to pedal 54 miles a day, and my appearance after such an endeavor would not pass muster in my line of work. But the option is technically available.

Nonetheless, I do appreciate your sacrifices to make the world a better place.

[taterguy]

119. Who said anything about sacrifices?

I use a bicycle because I enjoy it. Helping the environment is just a pleasant side-effect. I also really like not worrying what car-types think of my smoking; since their bad habit spews far more toxic fumes into the atmosphere than I could ever dream of producing.

[Katina]

86. probably a lot of things that a doctor would find wrong.

as a former smoker who has been smoke free for 15 years, I can't stand the smell of it on a smoker's clothing, hair or breath. The odor takes my breath away.
If smokers want to smoke, fine, but don't do it in my space.

[Left Is Write]

92. Nothing. But I don't like being around cigarette smoke, so I avoid it.

[datasuspect]

93. up until the late 70s, absolutely nothing

there was once a magical time in america when it was considered BAD manners to NOT offer a cigarette.

boy the way glenn miller played
songs that made the hit parade
guys like us we had it made

those were the days

[northzax]

98. jealously from those who aren't cool enough

it's that simple. we face unceasing jealously from those who weren't cool enough to start, and the quitters, those who couldn't take it and ran away.

[liontamer]

102. You smell bad

I generally don't mention it, but since you asked

[buddhamama]

105. the same thing that is wrong with

people who drive gas guzzlers (and god forbid they walk anywhere), materialistic jerks who buy every gadget and luxury under the sun (do you have any idea the amount of fucking pollution is produced manufacturing 'crap' not to mention the electricity it takes to run said 'crap'). pollution i breathe in, mind you! oh, and what about those people who gorge themselves on meat, all the time. any idea how much methane gas one cow puts into our atmosphere (and the pollution generated just to feed one!!!), and the effects that methane gas has on our ozone layer?

My air, my rights blah blah blah...condescending, sanctimonious people really piss me off.

[Blue Diadem]

109. I smoke, I hate it, I'm addicted

and it hurts when people tell me I stink. I know I stink..I can smell it, taste it, but I don't need to be told about it.

I wonder if anyone thinks about why they smoke. I didn't begin until I was 25 and I grew up swearing I'd never smoke. I wanted to fit in where I worked and smoking was popular there. I've quit at least 4 times through the years and always began smoking again..stupid I know. I'm not pleasant to be around when I quit and I don't want to grump at people or my loved ones while going through withdrawal.

[citizen snips]

112. Go ahead and smoke

I really don't give a damn if someone smokes or not.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

113. You stink.

Kind of pisses me off when I'm out on a stroll in the park and some smoking jackass cuts me off and blows smoke in my face.

[HEyHEY]

116. get him!

[Taverner]

118. Nothing wrong with SMOKERS per se...

It's that second hand smoke that kills...

However, smoking outdoors pretty much eliminates second hand smoke, so I often wonder why restaraunts ban smoking outside too...

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

120. Well, you do hurt some people. Second hand smoke is a fucking pain

especially if your stuck in a situation where you really have no viable choices other than tolerate it. Don't get me wrong, I still think you should be able to smoke, I'm just saying that it's not a completely victimless act.

[anarch]

121. well, I've heard it said, "where there's smoke, there's fire". So I think

what's wrong with people who are smoking is that

OH MY GOD THEY'RE ON FIRE!!!!

[catmother]

122. your rights end, where my nose begins. it makes me sick to

walk passed someone smoking.

i smoked for 30 years. have not smoked in 23. stopping was the hardest thing i ever did.


on edit: i stopped because it was offensive to my friends and i didn't like the control it had over me. i would go out in a snow storm to get cigarettes. if i couldn't get out, i would take butts out of the ashtray and light them. it was disgusting.

[taterguy]

124. see my responses above to South Paw

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, or something like that

[southpaw]

126. Tater Guy...

it would appear that there is something about the 'your right... ends where my... begins' construction that provokes you to respond.

[taterguy]

127. Asserting rights in this context is silly

People are claiming a right to pristine air. The same people frequently produce far more atmospheric pollution than the smokers that they're complaining about. Yes, I have a problem with grotesque hypocrisy. Sorry.

[southpaw]

128. Talk to me when you have no carbon footprint.

Until then, I assert that the difference between you and us 'car types' is a matter of degrees.

[taterguy]

129. I agree with your assertion

Of course that begs the question: What would you rather do: Ride a bike down a one mile hill with a 2 degree downslope or ride a bike down a one mile hill with a 90 degree downslope. Maybe we'll have to agree to disagree about the definition of degree

[catmother]

131. you know when i was a smoker i used to say the same things.

"you're getting more pollution from the air, etc. etc. etc.

i feel the same way about people who wear perfume. i had to change my seat in a restaurant the other day when the woman who sat behind me was reaking. i felt like i was eating her perfume.

[Rambis]

123. I used to smoke

I was at the park with my kids yesterday and there is a grandpa sitting in a van watching his grandkids (I assume) smoking like a chimney. I had to move- A playground is not a fucking smoking area gramps piss off!

[caty]

125. This is what's wrong "in" people who smoke:

http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/tobacco/smokelungs.htm
Just sayin'

I quit smoking the hard way.
I had surgery for a ruptured appendix and when I came out of surgery my oxygen level wouldn't stay up. I was a 2 pack a day smoker for years. Anyway, I was in a special care unit for 3 days hooked up to oxygen. Between the pain from the surgery and the constant struggle to breath, the desire to smoke just vanished. I didn't miss it during the 5 days I was in the hospital. I was too busy trying to breath. I haven't smoked in 18 months and I know I never will again. I am actually afraid to smoke again. I don't want to go through the hell I went through in the hospital again. So, don't quit the hard way. Quit because you want to. Not because you can't breath without a struggle

There are many reasons to quit smoking. Health, inconvenience, money, wrinkled skin. But, the one reason few think about is what happens to a smoker when there is another health problem. Smoking makes any illness and any recovery that much harder.

I think that one mistake a lot of people make when they quit is using something to replace it with. For me, that just makes me think of smoking more. Get it straight in your mind that you are now a non smoker and that smoking is not an option. Don't do something else instead of smoking. Get on with your healthier life.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

130. So....You people won't shop at walmart...

But you smoke. Makes no sense. The Tobacco industry gives more money to the republican party than walmart. And the only reason they treat their employees well is because they've unionized. I will NEVER understand that double standard.
Duckie

[Xipe Totec]

132. I don't mind if you smoke

In fact, I don't care if you burst in flames.

Just don't set fire to the furniture and we'll get along just fine.

[Sequoia]

133. It will be and they'll use your cig to light the bonfire.

I'm a used to be smoker and I think all this fuss is going way overboard. Just wait till they throw you all in jail. First they get you all hooked while young (hip, lose weight, adultish, cool) then they yank the rug from under you and expect you to just give it up in a snap.

[txwhitedove]

137. Cough, ok. It is your personal choice, achooo, but some of

us are allergic to cig smoke. Also, my mom
died of emphysema way too young. I ask all
my friends not to smoke. Ya'll are ALL my friends.
Please don't smoke.

[mwooldri]

138. Last time I smoked was when I put my head over a Bunsen burner at school.

It was a horrible stench! I have never smoked ever since. Well, my hair grew back fortunately but I didn't like being on fire.

/Mark.

[Placebo]

140. oh that's not really a good comparison, though

just sayin'

[Telly Savalas]

141. The second hand smoke affects my screaming child

when my wife is trying to breastfeed her at the Olive Garden.

[Placebo]

142. i don't know what would be more offensive...

breastfeeding or smoking at the Olive Garden.

[Telly Savalas]

143. I'm not sure, but ordering an entree with veal as the main ingredient

would pump up the offensive factor a bit.

[Tyo]

145. I enjoyed every cigarette I ever had

I loved Players straights, and Sobranie Black Russians when I could afford them. I smoked for a few years and then I quit because I wanted to maximize my chances of having a long and healthy retirement instead of ending up on oxygen at 50.

[nemo137]

146. We're dumb

I mean, even Winstons are almost 4 a pack here in Urbana, and Lucky Strikes are $4.50 a pack. Now multiply that by 5 a week, and you've got a serious money drain. But damn if an after supper cigarette isn't one of the nicest things ever.

[Placebo]

147. $7+

here in Chicago, grr

[Withywindle]

148. OMG this thread is HILARIOUS!

First off: I have not in fact driven a car in 17 years. I live in a big city where I don't have to, and I'm deeply glad of that and don't want to live anywhere I WOULD have to! So when it comes to auto exhaust, I say NYAH, I have the high road. (except, y'know, I do flag taxis. But they serve a lot of people, not just me. )

Secondly: It would never in my fucking life occur to me to light up a cigarette in the house or car of people who don't smoke, unless they've given me permission forms signed in triplicate! WTF? I go visit my parents, I step outside, no biggie. (Even though I know my dad is a closet smoker when he can get away with it because he loved it so much when he was young, he can't now, because he's asthmatic, so I try to do it under his radar)

Otherwise:
My foxy boyfriend and I are both smokers, and we enjoy it with gusto in our own home (which is a 6-unit building, granted, but we've been here longer than any other tenants). I am trying to persuade him to eventually working towards quitting, but the main driving force behind that is me realizing that if we BOTH managed to pull it off (deeply unlikely, as we've both been smokers since Reagan was pres) we'd be able to afford a Mediterranean trip--from Casablanca to Istanbul--in less than a year.